This Week on Transformed (1/28)

Featured Articles on Trans·formed This Week

A Two-Talent Christian in a Five-Talent World (Marc Cortez): When I get frustrated that I don’t have more, it means I’ve forgotten who I am. I think my frustration often comes from the fact that I think I should have a larger role to play in the story. After all, this is me we’re talking about. Just think of everything I could do if I just had the chance. It’s like I think I’m Frodo, the star of the story whose time just hasn’t come yet. But I’m not.

.

How to Read a Book (Chad Hall): Even with the advent of internet articles (like this one), Kindles, iPads, online magazines, and all sorts of multimedia, it’s still a good idea to read books. In fact, more books are being published today than ever before. And many of us find ourselves in contexts where reading widely is important. So how do you read lots of books?

.

.

Playing in Symphony: Developing a Referral Network (Bev Hislop): One of the dangers of being a shepherd is assuming that the ability or responsibility to restore people to health belongs to the shepherd alone. In a way that a symphony beautifully illustrates, each participant has an important role to play—whether that is a nanosecond or an hour(s)—to the over all care giving of others.

.

Change and Baptism (Bill Mounce): We were changed in conversion, and a changed person will live a changed life, not because you have to, but because you want to. In the Bible, one of the first things people did after conversion was to announce it publicly in a ritual called “baptism.”

.

.

Thinking Is Worship (John Johnson): The reality is, our tendency to not think so deeply is a key factor in our inability as evangelicals to impact culture. And it has become, in Mark Noll’s words, a scandal. An occasional journey into Christian radio and its advertising underscores what I sometimes fear most—that too many Christians are gullible and superficial. It helps explain why authors like John Piper have written recent books to address this.

.

.

Other Articles on Transformed This Week

Other Posts of Interest from around the Web

Depression and Serotonin: If you have been a pastor for longer than one week, you have probably counseled someone who was taking medication for depression. This presents a consummate pastoral dilemma because pastors want to bring the Bible to bear on all of life, and at the same time, we didn’t go to medical school.

Grace and Truth Beyond the Elephant Room: We need charity and clarity. But civility is not a love-fest. We will disagree – strongly at times. Why? Because theology matters. The stakes are high. Bad theology hurts people.

How Our Words and Actions Change the Lives of Children: A life can be literally launched with as little as a single word, an uplifting comment, a well-timed hug, a tender prayer, a compliment, the holding of a frightened hand, or the gentle wiping of a tear — all in just a minute.

The Biggest Myth in Time Management: The idea that we can get it all done is the biggest myth in time management. There’s no way Brad can meaningfully go through all his email and there’s no way any of us are going to accomplish everything we want to get done. Face it: You’re a limited resource.

Leadership Starts at Home: I am not your average leader. My leadership decisions don’t affect the boardroom, but they do the future of the world because I am raising two future leaders. I am a domestic engineer, a home economist, a housewife, a mom. I have found that my leadership at home has taught me lessons that any leader, whether in the board room or the laundry room, can use.